Bridgetown, Barbados

Bridgetown, in southwestern Barbados, is the capital of the island, on Carlisle Bay, in the West Indies. It is the country’s chief port and commercial center, with exports of sugar, clothing, and electrical parts and imports of machinery and transportation equipment. Sugar refining, rum production and tourism are also significant industries. National Heroes Square, with its statue of the British admiral Lord Nelson, is a major landmark. Points of interest include the historic ship repair yard, Careenage, an 18th century Anglican cathedral, and Garrison Savannah, a former parade ground where international cricket matches and other sport events are held. The English founded Bridgetown in 1628. As the capital of the British dependency of Barbados, it became the capital of independent Barbados in 1966. Barbados is generally flat along the coast and hilly in the interior. Coral deposits forms the surface of the island, which has no natural deepwater harbors and is surrounded by coral reefs. A 590-acre marine reserve was established in 1980 to protect the coastline and reefs of Barbados. The culture of Barbados evolved after more than three centuries of English rule, with a folk culture of African origin. The music and dances of Barbados reflect more purely the African heritage. Barbados gained full internal self-government in 1961, and is a member of the United Nations and of the Organization of American States.

The Careenage

Bridgetown has a small canal in the center of the city, named the Careenage, a.k.a. "Constitution River". The smaller Constitution River, feeding into the west coast, lies about a half kilometer south of the large harbor. The Careenage is just large enough for pleasure craft or fishing boats and has two main bridges near the city center which span the shallow Careenage.

From The Navigator

We enter Carlisle Bay from the east and pick up the local pilot about a mile outside the breakwater. The harbor port acts as one of the major shipping and transshipment hubs from international locations for the entire Eastern Caribbean. Recently the Bridgetown Port was dredged to allow safe access and berthing for the new league of "super cruise ships". The dredging project was completed in 2002 and the city can now host many of the largest cruise ships in the world.